News

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) will fund a new program to investigate the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease called “PATH to PD.” The two-year program includes three research teams that will collaborate to investigate risks associated with genetics, environment and aging, while working with a…

A new brain scanner that can be worn as a helmet could potentially revolutionize the world of human brain imaging, allowing patients with Parkinson’s disease to undergo brain scanning — a task previous traditional scanners failed. Brain cells use electrical impulses to communicate and, in doing so, form small…

Structural changes in a specific region of the brain can predict the onset of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s patients who have not yet developed dementia, according to a recent British study. The study, “Nucleus basalis of Meynert degeneration precedes and predicts cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

The most common gene mutation in Parkinson’s triggers disease outside the brain by changing the body’s immune response to common infections, a study in mice reports. The research, “Mutant LRRK2 mediates peripheral and central immune responses leading to neurodegeneration in vivo,” was published in the journal Brain.

An innovative Positron Emission Tomography (PET) tracer that has the potential to diagnose Parkinson’s disease will soon be tested in humans for the first time. Led by Switzerland-based AC Immune, which developed the technology, the study is expected to begin in the second half of 2018. The company recently presented…

Despite being used for the past 30 years to treat chronic neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), deep brain stimulation (DBS) “remains a fascinating puzzle to scientists, physicians, and engineers,” the lead author of a new review study said. Challenges the technique presents for both…

Parkinson’s disease patients treated with Gocovri (amantadine) experienced a 41 percent decrease in levodopa-induced dyskinesia compared to 14 percent of healthy people who took placebos. That analysis of two Phase 3 trials are summarized in the study “Pooled Analyses of Phase III Studies of ADS-5102 (Amantadine) Extended-Release Capsules for…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced a new $7 million funding program to support Parkinson’s disease research and accelerate development of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Through the program, researchers can request project funding in four major research areas. The organization is now accepting pre-proposals through May 2018,…

A common Parkinson’s gene mutation plays a role in the formation of fatty plaque in the brain that can destroy nerve cells controlling movement, a study suggests. The research, “GBA1 deficiency negatively affects physiological α-synuclein tetramers and related multimers,” was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy…

Lundbeck will acquire the biopharmaceutical Prexton Therapeutics, obtaining the development and commercialization rights to foliglurax (PTX002331), an investigational therapy currently in Phase 2 trials for Parkinson’s disease. Foliglurax is a small molecule modulator that activates nerve cells with a set of specific glutamate receptors called mGluR4, and compensates…